Comparison of antioxidant enzyme activity in the internal spermatic vein and brachial veins of patients with infertile varicocele.

Aim: Recent studies have shown that both oxidative and reductive stresses are present within the internal spermatic vein of patients with varicocele. The aim of this study was to compare the activities of antioxidant enzymes in the internal spermatic vein and brachial vein of patients with varicocele.

Methods: Fifteen primary infertile varicocele patients and ten normal-nonvaricocele-fertile control subjects participated in this study. The patients and subjects were first given a physical and color doppler examination, and then whole blood samples were drawn from the brachial vein and a dilated internal spermatic vein during surgery. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) enzyme activities were assessed by enzymatic methods, and the results were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test.

Results: The activity of SOD in the internal spermatic veins and brachial veins of patients with varicocele was 60.17+/-2.15 and 42.10+/-1.60 U/g protein, respectively; that of GSH-Px was 5.44+/-0.14 and 3.92+/-0.14 U/g protein, respectively. The results were statistically significant (P<0.05). In the control group, the activity of SOD in the internal spermatic veins and brachial veins was 43.12+/-1.80 and 40.01+/-2.10 U/g protein, respectively; that of GSH-Px was 3.35+/-0.20 and 3.7+/-0.10 U/g protein, respectively (P>0.05).

Conclusions: Increased antioxidant enzyme activity in the internal spermatic vein may be due to increased oxidative stress in the internal spermatic vein: the increase in antioxidant enzyme activity may be a response to offset the toxic actions of reactive oxygen species. Further studies are needed to confirm this suggestion.